Mower County, MN Tornadoes

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A Look Back: Tornadoes of Memorial Day 2019

Tornadoes in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and southwest & central Wisconsin
Background Information	Statistics (1850-Present)	Records (1850-Present)

Mower County (MN) Tornadoes*
1850-2020

Date			Time	Location	Other Counties Affected	Length (miles)	Width (yards)	Deaths**	Injuries**	EF-Scale
Month	Day	Year	Time	Location	Other Counties Affected	Length (miles)	Width (yards)	Deaths**	Injuries**	EF-Scale
6	17	2009	1951 CST	Adams	None	0.1	15	0	0	EF0
			A brief tornado was witnessed by the Le Roy Fire Department storm spotters. Property damage was estimated at $1,000.
6	17	2009	1900-1923 CST	Ramsey 2.5W to Austin 2.3 SSE	None	9.6	120	0	1	EF2
			A tornado caused damage on the north and northeast side of the city of Austin. Specific reports included minor tree damage, as well as debris blown into fences and bent poles on the northwest side of Austin. Several power poles were snapped off or bent along Highway 218 on the north side of the city. Several metal work buildings were heavily damaged along 243rd St, along with numerous trees and some minor roof damage to nearby homes. Large debris, such as metal dumpsters, were tossed large distances. There was straight-line wind damage noted south of the tornado path, or along Highway 218 and 4th St NW. Several homes had minor damage, with numerous trees blown over or sheared off along 236th and 237th Street directly north of downtown Austin. There was considerable damage done in Todd Park, including athletic equipment, small buildings and hundreds of trees toppled and uprooted. The north side of the park, including the northern softball fields had the most damage. There was also considerable tree damage along 21st St NE or 555th Ave, which continued into the Austin Country Club. Minor damage was noted about a half mile east of the Austin airport and about 2 miles southeast of the airport. One minor injury was reported when a man sustained scrapes and bruises when he took shelter in a shed that rolled over twice. Property damage was estimated at $2 million and crop damage was estimated at $30,000.
8	18	2005	1150-1151 CST	Dexter 4N	None	0.1	20	0	0	F0
			Law enforcement officials reported a tornado touched down briefly just north of Dexter. It damaged a livestock building and flatten corn. his tornado caused approximately $6,000 in property damage. Funnel clouds were also sighted elsewhere around Mower County, but none of these touched down.
3	30	2005	1418-1419 CST	Adams, MN 4S (state line)	Mitchell	1	30	0	0	F0
			A small tornado touched down briefly near the Minnesota-Iowa state line just south of Adams, MN (Mower County). It damaged barns and outbuildings. This tornado caused approximately $7,500 in property damage..
6	16	2004	1440-1442 CST	Grand Meadow 2W	None	0.2	20	0	0	F0
			Brief touch down causing no damage.
6	11	2004	1831-1833 CST	LeRoy 3W	None	0.2	20	0	0	F0
			Brief touch down causing no damage.
6	11	2004	1753-1755 CST	Dexter 2NE	None	0.2	20	0	0	F0
			Brief touch down causing no damage.
6	11	2004	1656 CST-1713 CST	Riceville, IA 3N to LeRoy 4NW	Howard	12	150	0	0	F3
			This was the last of three tornadoes to be produced by a small but intense thunderstorm in northeast Iowa (two in Howard County and one in Mitchell County). This tornado was the most significant tornado and it formed about 2 miles north of Riceville,IA just east of the Mitchell-Howard County line. The tornado tracked north, just east of the county line or Addison Avenue. It grew in strength and at one point was approximately 150 yards wide, hitting several homes and farms (F2 damage). One home lost the roof and all buildings. The tornado was so close to the county line that debris was thrown across Addison Avenue into Mitchell County at times. The dirt and young crops were scoured by the tornado. This tornado caused an estimated $190,000 in property damage and $30,000 in crop damage in Howard County. This tornado reached F3 damage intensity right on the state line around 6:05 p.m. The tornado then started to weaken, but did heavy damage to a grain company (Koch Industries)(F2 damage) about 2 miles west of Le Roy and continued north, crossing Highway 56 just before 6:10 p.m. The tornado lifted approximately 4 miles northwest of Le Roy in open fields. This tornado caused an estimated $3 million in property damage and $20,000 in crop damage in Mower County.
5	1	2001	1852-1854 CST	Elkton 3SW to Elkton 2SW	None	1	50	0	0	F0
			This was the 3rd of 3 tornadoes to strike Mower and Freeborn counties during this evening. This weak rope-like tornado which touched down in a field between Rose Creek and Elkton Minnesota
5	1	2001	1832-1840 CST	Austin 3W to Austin 4N	Freeborn	5	250	0	0	F1
			This was 2nd of three tornadoes to strike Mower and Freeborn counties during this evening. (The first tornado moved through downtown Glenville in Freeborn County.) Storm spotters and law enforcement officials reported a tornado entered Mower County about 3 miles west of Austin. The storm proceeded northeast, before lifting about 4 miles north of Austin. The tornado hit numerous farms, outbuildings, power poles and crossed fields that were still bare of crops. Several hog farms were destroyed. Hardest hit were several homes in the small community of Andyville, just north of Austin, along Highway 218. Roofs were torn off and trees sheared off. Property damage was estimated at $150,00. Two smaller tornadoes also touched down briefly between Rose Creek and Elkton (Mower County) and near Stewartville (Olmsted County), but no damage was reported. Spotters across southeast Minnesota also reported hail ranging in size from dimes to golf balls and thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 mph.
7	27	1995	1050-1105 CST	Adams	None	3.5	40	0	0	F2
			A tornado touched down in Adams and moved northeast touching down several times. Several buildings were damaged or destroyed. Many trees were uprooted. A church in Adams lost its steeple and bell tower.
4	18	1995	1300 CST	Grand Meadow 8E	None	0.5	25	0	0	F0
			A small tornado touched down briefly and damaged a farm building. Debris was scattered over an area 3/4 of a mile wide.
4	18	1995	1220 CST	Rose Creek	None	0.5	25	0	0	F0
			A small tornado touched down damaging a machine shed and a home as well as uprooting some trees. Debris was scattered over a stretch of one mile.
6	8	1993	1255-1330 CST	Dexter	None	0.5	8	0	0	F0
6	8	1993	1255-1330 CST	Grand Meadow 2S	None	0.5	8	0	0	F0
6	8	1993	1255-1330 CST	Le Roy 2S	None	0.5	8	0	0	F0
7	7	1991	1120 CST	Adams	None	0.1	8	0	0	F0
			This tornado touched down briefly in an athletic field, cutting power but doing little damage.
7	7	1991	1110 CST	Lyle 2NE	None	0.2	10	0	0	F1
			A brief touchdown sheared the top of a large evergreen tree, flattened field crops, damaged five large grain bins, and snapped many power poles. Lyle was without power for 5 hours.
6	7	1984	1836 CST	Austin	None	5	100	0	7	F2
			A tornado struck in the southern outskirts of Austin knocking down trees and farm buildings before moving northeast. The heaviest damage occurred at a bowling alley in southeast Austin off Highway 218. The roof on the east side of the building and one wall were blown off. Debris was blown inside the building as well as across the street. Three cars in the parking lot were tossed about and a truck driver broke a collarbone when his truck was blown off Highway 218. The tornado also destroyed a home and TV repair shop across the street from the bowling alley before crossing an open field. The tornado went on to cause damage to the Austin Country Club and flipped over a mobile home east of Austin before dissipating.
5	17	1982	1604-1620 CST	Frankford Township to Spring Valley	Fillmore	29	800	0	0	F2
			This tornado was first sighted in Frankford Township of Mower County where it damaged two farm sites. It moved northeast and was observed to the west of Spring Valley and again while crossing Highway 16.
5	29	1980	1936 CST	?	None	?	?	0	0	F1
6	12	1976	1705 CST	?	None	?	?	0	0	F1
4	22	1970	1530 CST	?	None	?	?	0	0	F1
4	22	1970	1530 CST	?	None	?	?	0	0	F1
4	20	1968	1035 CST	?	None	?	?	0	0	F0
4	30	1967	1915 CST	Austin 1.5SE	None	6	?	0	0	F2
			This tornado tracked north. At least two barns and one home were unroofed and torn apart.
5	5	1965	2055-2104 CST	Le Roy to Chatfield	Fillmore	25	150	0	0	F2
			This tornado tracked northeast from near Le Roy (Mower County) and Ostrander to near Chatfield in Fillmore County. At least one barn was destroyed as 20 farms were damaged.
7	9	1964	1900 CST	?	None	?	?	0	0	F0
8	4	1961	1745 CST	Austin	None	2	600	0	2	F2
			A large but rather weak tornado destroyed garages, unroofed one home, and damaged many more.
6	25	1959	1715 CST	?	None	?	?	0	0	F1
5	28	1959	1030 CST	?	None	?	?	0	0	F0
6	16	1946	2022 CST	Grand Meadow 5N	Fillmore	8	170	0	0	F2
			This tornado tracked east-northeast across parts of Mower County and into extreme northwest Fillmore County. Five farms lost buildings. One small house was destroyed, a rural school was leveled, and at least two barns were destroyed causing $15,000 of damage.
7	9	1938	2155 CST	Austin 6SW	Freeborn	9	70	0	0	F2
			This tornado tracked through parts of Freeborn and Mower Counties, moving 6 miles southwest of Austin. At least one barn was destroyed and several head of cattle were killed.
6	13	1930	1545 CST	Austin 5N to Oslo	Dodge	10	800	0	0	F4
			This very large tornado destroyed 6 farms, sweeping away all buildings from three of them, as it crossed parts of Mower and Dodge Counties. The Oslo (Dodge Co.) town hall was destroyed. One rumored death, 1 mile north of Sargent, could not be confirmed. Damage was estimated at $75,000.
8	20	1928	1610 CST	Austin	Winnebago, IA Freeborn	40	??	6	60	F4
			This tornado started in northern Iowa, moved through Freeborn County, and hit the south side of Austin. About $600,000 of the million in total loses was to about 100 homes in Austin (estimated F3 damage). Five of the 6 deaths were in Austin.
6	13	1925	1545 CST	Blooming Prairie 3N to Grand Meadow 5E	Steele Dodge	30	100	0	3	F2
			Starting near the Dodge-Steele County line, this tornado skipped southeast hitting southeast Hayfield and tracked into eastern Mower County before lifting. Barns were destroyed near the starting and ending points. The bulk of the damage was in Dodge County, with damage was estimated up to $8,000 elsewhere.
6	10	1897	1855 CST	Lyle 5W to Lyle 1N	Freeborn	6	400	1	22	F4
			This tornado moved slowly east northeast from 5 miles west of Lyle to 1 mile north of Lyle. At least 20 farms that were hit had every building swept away. Seven farm homes were destroyed. The only confirmed death was a man in a barn 3 miles west of Lyle. The family was building a new home and they were eating supper in the barn. Much of the track was 1 mile north of the Iowa border. Two other people may have died. The tornado caused an estimated $30,000 damage.
9	21	1894	2030 CST	Mason City (IA) 5NE to Spring Valley (MN)	Cerro Gordo (IA) Mitchell (IA) Fillmore	60	800	16	70	F4
			This tornado moved northeast from 5 miles northeast of Mason City, Iowa killing at least 3 people in northeast Cerro Gordo County. At least four people died in homes 4 miles northeast of Osage as 13 farm houses wee destroyed in that county. At Leroy, Minnesota, damage totalled $120,000 as four people were killed and 80 buildings were damaged or destroyed including 35 homes. Entire farms were leveled southwest of Spring Vally. Ten homes were destroyed, five people killed and 35 injured in the northwest part of Spring Valley as losses there totalled $60,000.
6	11	1880	2200 CST	Brownsdale	None	?	?	0	2	F2
			Barns were destroyed on 2 farms and one person may have died near Browndale.
* The data in this table came from *Storm Data* and *Significant Tornadoes--1680-1991* by Thomas P. Grazulis. ** Injuries and Deaths are for the entire tornado track.

Last Updated Friday, April 24, 2020 - Jeff Boyne

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